Frequently Asked Questions

A Clinic is a course in which students learn essential lawyering skills by working on pending cases under the supervision of professors and clinical instructors. Students also learn by attending regular Clinic classes and supervisory sessions. In most Clinics, students are the primary advocates for their clients and work on all aspects of a case, including factual investigation, counseling, negotiation, research and writing, and appearing in court.

What kinds of cases do clinical students work on?

Each Clinic handles different types of cases. Please see the individual Clinic descriptions for details.

Who are Clinic clients?

Each Clinic helps different types of clients. Typically, Clinic clients are members of the community who are low-income and who are not able to obtain representation elsewhere.

What should students with disabilities do if they are interested in taking a Clinic?

Students with disabilities should speak with the Dean of Students if they are interested in taking a Clinic.

Are the Clinics for a semester or a year?

Some clinics are only taken for one semester. Others require enrollment for the entire year. Please see the individual Clinic descriptions.

How many credits are the Clinics?

Students receive three to six credits per semester depending on the Clinic. Please see the individual Clinic descriptions.

Can students enroll in more than one Clinic?

Yes. However, it is recommended that only one clinic be taken per semester due to the time requirements per clinic.

Can a student enroll in a Clinic while also working at an externship or on time-consuming extra-curricular activities?

There is no rule against this. Students must decide for themselves how much they can handle, keeping in mind that a Clinic is a serious time commitment.

Is there any prohibition on working for certain employers while enrolled in a Clinic?

Students need to avoid creating conflicts of interest. Please discuss any potential conflicts of interest with the Clinic Director prior to acceptance of enrollment.

Who can apply for a Clinic?

Most clinics are open to both rising 2Ls and 3Ls. LLM students are also encouraged to apply. Pre- and Co-requisites vary for each Clinic.

What criteria do instructors use to accept students into the Clinic?

Each Clinic decides what students to accept using a variety of criteria. The standard Clinic application asks for a resume, transcript, statement of interest, and language ability. (preferred but not required).

How likely is it that a student will be invited to enroll in a given Clinic?

This depends on a number of factors, including the size of the Clinic, how many other students have applied, and the particulars of a student’s application. The Clinics vary in size from eight to twenty-four students.

Are students who have been accepted into a Clinic able to change their minds?

Once a student has been invited to enroll into a Clinic, the student will be asked to accept the offer. A student may decline an invitation to enroll, however, once an offer has been accepted by the student that acceptance may not be withdrawn.

What happens to students who do not get into a clinic?

Students may be invited off the wait-list. Otherwise, students are free to apply again in a subsequent semester.

What is a Summer Clinic?

A summer clinic is the same as a clinic during the regular academic year. The course is, however, six credits with 5 hours weekly of course time and 30 hours weekly of case related work.